Video Games Live!
I attended the Video Games Live concert again this year. This time it was at the brand new Nokia L.A. Live! Theater that they built next to Staples Center. One memorable moment was when we were at an intersection in between the theater and Staples Center. Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony were performing at the Staples Center that night. As we stopped at the crosswalk, we watched the people crossing left and right. It was a clash of dressed up J. Lo fans and dressed down game geeks. It was funny to see how different the crowds were going in different directions.
The venue was nice, the music was nice. I enjoyed it. The only thing that puts me off is the crowd. It was basically an orchestral venue with orchestral music, but viewed by a bunch of frat boys. Every time they saw a game or character they recognized, they shout and woo. Especially during the events where someone goes on stage to play a game on screen, there are lots of shouting. It’s not like I didn’t expect it, given the subject material and audience. It just makes it difficult to enjoy the music I guess. That and the laser lights were really annoying.
I went with some friends and their friends. Most of them got drunk before the show, arrived late, and got more drunk. They seemed to have had more fun than I did. Although one of them ended up in the restroom for an hour throwing up. Good times. It’s a rare accomplishment, getting wasted at a video game concert. I’d like to go to that theater again, but probably not for video game concerts anymore. I’ve been to 4 of them already, 2 run by Square Enix and 2 VGL. They were good experiences, but I can enjoy my music at home.